Skilled workers visa for Norway

So the situation with the visas in Norway is a little more nuanced. You can get a residence permit if you fall under any of the three categories mentioned below but the gist of it is, you either need to be employed by someone in Norway or be doing some work that requires you to be there

Skilled worker with an employer in Norway

Requirements of the employee

• You must pay an application fee.

Requirements relating to your education/qualifications

You must have one of the following types of education/qualifications

• a completed vocational training programme of at least three years at upper secondary school level, for example as a carpenter or health worker. There must be a corresponding vocational training programme in Norway.
• completed education or degree from a university/ university college, for example a bachelor's degree as an engineer or nurse
• special qualifications that you have obtained through long work experience, if relevant in combination with courses etc. A permit is only granted in such cases in exceptional circumstances. Your qualifications must be equivalent to those of someone who has completed vocational training.

Requirements relating to the employment relationship

• You must have received a concrete job offer from one specific employer in Norway.
• The job must normally be full-time. If you have been offered at least an 80 percent position, we will accept this.
• The job you are offered must require qualifications as a skilled worker. You must have the qualifications that the job requires.
• The pay and working conditions must not be poorer than is normal in Norway.

Special requirements

• If you are going to work in an occupation for which recognition or authorisation is required (external website), you must have such recognition or authorisation. Health personnel, for example, must enclose an authorisation or licence from the Norwegian Directorate of Health (external website).
• If you are to work through a staffing agency, you must present a list of the assignments that the employer has planned for you. The assignments must be confirmed by the business/businesses you are carrying out the assignments for. It is only possible for you to get a residence permit for the period of time when you are carrying out the assignments on this list. The staffing agency must be registered in the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority’s register (external website).

Rights and obligations

• The duration of the residence permit you are able to get depends on the position you have been offered:
  • If the position requires that you have completed a vocational training programme at upper secondary school level, you can get a residence permit for up to one year at a time.
  • If the position requires that you have completed an education or degree from a university/ university college, you can normally get a residence permit for up to three years at a time. If we need to check more frequently that you still fulfil the requirements, for example because you are going to work through a staffing agency, you will only be able to get a residence permit for up to one year at a time.
• After three years, you can apply for a permanent residence permit in Norway.
• Your family can usually apply to come and live with you in Norway. If your family members apply at the same time as you, you will receive the answer to your applications at the same time.
• If you are later going to change employers, but work in the same type of position, you do not need to apply for a new residence permit.
• If you are later going to start in a new type of position you must apply for a new residence permit, no matter if you are staying with the same employer or changing employers. You can not start in a new type of position until you have been given a new residence permit.

Self-employed persons with a company in Norway

Requirements of the employee

• You must pay an application fee.

Requirements relating to your education/qualifications

You must have one of the following types of education/qualifications

• a completed vocational training programme of at least three years at upper secondary school level, for example as a carpenter or health worker. There must be a corresponding vocational training programme in Norway.
• completed education or degree from a university/ university college, for example a bachelor's degree as an engineer or nurse
• special qualifications that you have obtained through long work experience, if relevant in combination with courses etc. A permit is only granted in such cases in exceptional circumstances. Your qualifications must be equivalent to those of someone who has completed vocational training.

Requirements relating to the employment

• You must have plans to engage in long-term business activities in Norway.
• The business concerned must normally be your own sole proprietorship. The business cannot be a limited company. You can only work in this business. You cannot take other work.
• The work you will be doing in the business must require your qualifications as a skilled worker.
• It must be likely that the business will give you a profit (business income) of at least NOK 253 378 per year pre-tax. The UDI will ask the county authority to assess if this is likely.
• If the type of business you will be running requires permits from public authorities, you must hold such a permit or a confirmation from the authority that you will be granted such a permit.

Rights and obligations

• You can be granted a permit for one year at a time.
• After three years, you can apply for a permanent residence permit.
• Your family members can apply for family immigration to come and live with you in Norway. If your family members apply at the same time as you, you will receive the answer to your applications at the same time.

Self-employed persons with a company abroad

Requirements of the employee

• You must pay an application fee.

Requirements relating to your education/qualifications

You must have one of the following types of education/qualifications

• a completed vocational training programme of at least three years at upper secondary school level, for example as a carpenter or health worker. There must be a corresponding vocational training programme in Norway.
• completed education or degree from a university/ university college, for example a bachelor's degree as an engineer or nurse
• special qualifications that you have obtained through long work experience, if relevant in combination with courses etc. A permit is only granted in such cases in exceptional circumstances. Your qualifications must be equivalent to those of someone who has completed vocational training.

Requirements relating to the employment

• You must be a self-employed person with an established business abroad and have entered into a contract to carry out an assignment for a business in Norway.
• The business in Norway must have a registered business address here.
• As a rule, the offer of an assignment must be for one specific enterprise in Norway.
• Your remuneration must not be poorer than is normal in Norway.
• Your qualifications as a skilled worker must be relevant to your ability to complete the assignment.
• If you are going to carry out an assignment in an occupation for which recognition or authorisation is required (external website), you must have such approval or authorisation.

Rights and obligations

• If you are going to carry out assignments other than that described in the contract or for another enterprise, you must apply for a new residence permit.
• You can be granted a permit for two years at a time. You can have this permit for up to six years, then you must live outside Norway for two years before you can apply for a new such permit.
• The period you have this permit does not count if you later wish to apply for a permanent residence permit.
• If your assignment lasts for more than six months, your spouse or cohabitant and your children can apply for family immigration to come and live with you in Norway. If your family members apply at the same time as you, you will receive the answer to your applications at the same time.